Practicing What We Preach

THE inspired Luke begins the book of Acts after this manner: "The former

treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and

teach." (Acts 1:1.) Notice the order: do and teach. Too many today have

reversed that order. They begin to teach before they begin to do. No teaching

has greater weight than that which is done by doing. In other words, teaching

will have but little weight unless the teacher lives what he teaches. Even the

Master Teacher began to do and teach.Upon one occasion some of the disciples of John were sent to Jesus. These

two disciples of John were instructed to ask Jesus this question: ''Art thou he

that should come, or do we look for another?'" (Matt. 11:3.) Christ could have

made many arguments in answering this question. He could have made a

wonderful argument upon Gen. 3:15. He could have shown that he was the

fulfillment of the prophecy here made. But he did not do it! He could have

taken dozens of other prophecies from the Old Testament and shown how he

was the fulfillment of these prophecies. But he did not do it!

How did he answer this question? How did he set about to prove to John

and his disciples that he was he "that should come"? He used no great

arguments. He simply said: "Go and shew John again those things which ye do

hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are

cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the

gospel preached to them:" (Matt. 11:4, 5.) Jesus proved his teaching by what

he did. His works gave the weight to what he said.

We can teach in these two ways. We must teach the truth, but this

teaching must be backed up by the practice. Jesus taught that men ought

always to pray. (Luke 18:1.) Did he practice what he taught? To ask the

question is to answer it. Who does not remember the numberless references

to the prayers of the meek and lowly Nazarene? "And it came to pass in those

days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in

prayer to God." (Luke 6:12.) "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face,

and prayed." "He went away again the second time, and prayed." "And he left

them, and went away again, and prayed the third time." (Matt. 26.) Not one

of us can imagine Jesus saying that we ought to pray, but not practicing it

himself. What gave the weight to the teaching?

Jesus taught men to be humble. He even washed the feet of the disciples

to impress this lesson of humility upon them. Some of our religious neighbors

have entirely missed the lesson here.The disciples did not get the full import of the lesson at the time. Jesus

said: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shall know hereafter." (John

13:7.) Of course Peter and the other disciples knew that Jesus was washing

their feet, but they missed the great lesson of humility. They got it later. It

would seem that all would get it today. Would the teaching of Jesus have had

weight if he had not been the very embodiment of humility?

Jesus taught love. What of his practice? "For when we were yet without

strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous

man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to

die. But God commendeth his love toward us. in that, while we were yet

sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:6-8.) Christ sealed his love with his death.

Christ taught giving. Paul told the Ephesian elders "to remember the

words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to

receive." (Acts 20:35.) Jesus gave up the joys of heaven to save sinners. When

he was here, he gave his very all that a lost and recreant race might be saved.

He gave his very life to redeem us from our fallen state. When Jesus taught

that we ought to give, he set the example by giving everything. This gave the

weight to his teaching.

Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, saying: "This do in remembrance of

me." (Luke 22:19.) He set the example. He ate the Supper.

Before Jesus went back to heaven he said: "He that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16') But before saying this he had set the

example. He had been baptized to fulfill all righteousness. (Matt. 3:15.) His

commandment is given added force by his example.

Many times false doctrines are given weight because the false teachers are

doing some good works. How often do we meet such an expression as this.

"But they are doing so much good"! The doctrine may be as false as Satan

himself, but it is givensome credence by folks because the ones sponsoring the doctrine may be

doing some good works. And, conversely, how often has truth been retarded

because the one teaching it was not practicing it! Error would not get such a

hold upon men if it were not for the fact that some good works are mixed with

the false teaching. And the truth would run and be glorified much faster if the

ones who teach it would live it, if they would begin to do and teach, if they

would so live that others would hear and see.

Paul wrote to Timothy after this fashion: ''Take heed unto thyself, and

unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save

thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Tim. 4:16.) To Titus he wrote: "For the

grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us

that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,

righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope,

and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Tit

2:11-13.)

''Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou

that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man

should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest

idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" (Rom. 2:21, 22.)

May the dear Lord help us not to teach anything that we are not

practicing, and help us to practice what we teach.